westlake



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

W. WESTLAKB.

PURNAGE FOR BOILERS.

Patented Oct. 27

/f f a 'l IIIIY. f l f/ f/ (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. WBSTLAKE.

Y FURNAGE FOR BOILERS. y No. 328,991. Patented Oct. 27, 1885.

WMI/ce.

' fweldor N. PETERS` Phnin-Linwgnphnr, washington. D.C.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. W. WBST'LAKE.

FURNAGB FOR BOILERS.

No. 328,991 Pate ted ./gfl. n

ot.27,1885. ya

A UNITED STATES PATENT EEcE.

WILLIAM VESTLAKE, OF BROOKLYN, `N Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE UNITED STATES OOMBUSTION COMPANY, OF NEW YORK.

FURNACE FOR BOILERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 328,991, dated October 27, 1885.

Application filed June 21, 1884.

To all whom, it may concern.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WEsTLAKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings andState of New York, nave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Furnaces for Boilers, 85o., of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of appa'- ratus in which currents of heated air are introduced among the products of combustion for the purpose of insuring a consumption of the carbonaceous portions and the prevention of smoke; and my invention consists in means, fully set forth hereinafter, whereby to introduce the air in a highly-heated state thor- -oughly among the gases without interfering with the free draft, without chilling the gases, and; without injury to the apparatus.

.In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a vertical tubular boiler illustrating my improvement. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of a horizontal boiler, and showing my improvement in connection therewith. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the air-distributing device. Fig. 4 is a sectional view I of said device at right angles to the section,

Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a plan of the ring of the airdistributing device. Fig. 6 is a plan of the branch pipe of the air-distributing device.

In some classes of smoke-preventing apparatus it is common to distribute heated air among the products of combustion by means of perforated pipes, bridge-walls, diaphragms, Ste., extending across the fire-place. These structures are apt to interfere with the draft, and result sometimes in chilling the gases, while the introduction of the air along a single plane does not result in thoroughly intermingling it with the gases. In other apparatus jets of air are forced through nozzles at the sides or front ofthe iire-place into the gases arising from the fuel. This does not effect a complete combination of the air and gases near the center of the iire-placeunless a strong lateral blast is used, which is objectionable, as it in terferes with the direct draft, and sometimes by chillingthe gases causes the escape of part of the carbonaceous matter unconsumed in the form of smoke, it being essential to the prevention of smoke that the gases be consumed before boiler; and I use an air-distributer so con-` structed and arranged as toretain the heat and supply heated-air currents without materially changing the course of the gases or interfering with their free flow.

My invention is applicable to furnaces of dif-v ferent kinds and constructions, and wherever the introduction of currents of highlyheated air among the products of combustion in the fire-place will facilitate the combustion of the gases; but for purposes -of illustration I have shown in Fig. l the application of the invention in connection with a vertical tubular boiler, and in Fig. 2 in connection with a horizontal boiler. distributed by a head'or distributer, A, which is suspended or secured at about the center of the combustion-chamber X, the latter in Fig. l being directly over the grate B, and in Fig.

2 being beyond the bridge-wall C. The dis-.- tributer A is a hollow head extending nearlyto the walls of the combustionchamber, andv so constructed, of any suitable shape, that the air may flow therefrom through orifices or perforations x, suitably arranged, and the tube orconduit D, through which the air passes to the distributer, extends through one or more chambers, Y, either inclosed within the casing of the boiler E or within the uptake F, so that the air passing through such tube is preliminarily heated by the gases flowing through said chambers. escaping may be heated to as great a degree as possible, the distributer A is placed at the point where the combustion is most intense,

in position for the gases to iiow round the same on all sides, and to protect the distributer against the destructive e'ects of the highlyheated gases which strike the same on their way from the fire-place, and toretain the heat,

I provide the same with a shield or guard, G,

The airis conducted to and In order that the air before'` IOO of fire-clay or other refractory material, so placed that the said gases will impinge upon the same. In the drawings the distributer is shown as consisting of a cast-metal ring, of such shape as, with the guard G, to inclose an annular chamber, fw, to which the air can flow from a central stem, a, through branches yb b,the stem abeing connected to the pipe D, through which the air is supplied. The guard G is in two or more sections, confined against the open side of the ring by means of bolts o, the heads of which lie within sockets or openings formed in the guards and filled with fire-clay u, or other refractory material, which protects the heads from the direct action of the heated gases, thereby preventing them from being burned away, and the air-channels are formed by grooving the face of the guard at the points where it is in contact with the edges of the ring.V It will be noticed that the air-channels x are inclined away from the fire-grate or toward the flue, so that the currents of heated air will notbe thrown directly against the sides of the combustion-chamber, or counter to the direction in which the products of combustion ow from the fire-place, and there is no tendency to act with a blow-pipe effect against the shell of the boiler, nor any retarding of the-currents that would interfere with the draft. At the same time the gases are directed outward, so that the most intense combustion is at the side of the boiler-shell. The air is forced into the distributer by means of a blower, I, which is of such a character and operated at such a speed as to insure a free buteasy flow of the air, the object being to supply an abundant quantity of air to the gaseswithout producing any blast liable to carry away the products of combustion unconsumed. It is important to provide for the naturaliiow of the air into the distributer should the movement of the blower be arrested, for which reason I employ a fan, a Blackman fan being shown, through which the air can pass onward to the supply-tube, even when the fan or blower is at rest. It will be seen that the currents of air flowing through the inner channels, x, might act with a destructive effect against the branches b b, toward'which said currents are projected. I therefore, to prevent injury from such a cause, insert a plate of refractory material, J, between the-branches, so as to prevent such action, sufficient space being left between the plate andthe ring for the gases to iiow laterally outward. In somecases the inner channelsmay be dispensed with, the guard then consisting of a solid disk. As the distributer A isarranged at that point in the combustionchamber where the heat is most intense, the air before passing through the channels is brought to a very highly-heated condition,

approximating the temperatureof the products of combustion, so thatthere isno chilling of the latter from the introduction of the air, but, onthecontrary, a. thorough combustion of the carbonaceous matter is effected.

By the arrangement of channels x-- the air is caused to flow both inwardly and outwardly from the distributer, and it is thorough] y intermingled with the gases, not only at the sides of the combustion-chamber, but also at the center, so that no portion of the products of combustion escapes without admixture with the air'. vThe preliminary heating of the air prior to its passage into the distributer is important, as thereby the chilling of the distributer is prevented, and when the conducting or supply pipe D extends through the boiler, as shown in Fig. 1, and in contact with the water, this preliminary heating of the air further tends to heat the boiler-tube and secure an increased evaporation of the water.

heat, so that the distributer does not become lThe guard G is of such size as to retain the chilled from thc opening of the furnace-door in feeding, or from the placing of lfresh coalv This is most important, as-

-upon the re.

thereby the volume of smoke' emitted-when fresh fuel is added is thoroughly consumed, while in ordinary apparatus the air-distriburters are generally chilled at such times whenv it is most essential for them to be in a highlyheated condition.

In Fig. l an air-heater, K, is shown as ar` ranged within the uptake, and consists of an annularshell, j`,communicating with the inletpipe,y and a hollow casing, f, communicatingwith the pipe D, and small pipes or tubes g, connecting the casing and shell. By this construction the heated gases flowing through theuptake warm the air, while those within the chamber y impart a considerably higher -temperature, so that it reaches the distributer A in a comparatively hot state. In some in stances it is desirable,iu order to secure a moreY intense heat, to supply the air-current with carbon in a finely-divided form-as, for instance,

To effectv I' in the shape oi' a liquid or fine dust. this I employ a reservoir, L, from which a pipe, k, extends into the conducting-pipe at any suitable point, -so that the inflowing current lof air will carry with it the fluid or par-- When it is desired to introduce a combined current of steam and air,asteampipe,N, may be passed through the air-supply pipe D at any point, so as to direct the steam into the air as it flows through said pipe.

I am aware that perforated air-pipes have been extended into the combustion-chambersv of furnaces; but these are ofv such limited dimensions that but a small portion ofthe gasescan be combined with the fresh-air currents, while by using an expanded head suspended centrally within the chamber and exposed at the ends and sides to the action of the flames, the air is made much hotter and more thoroughly-mingled with the gases than is possible with an ordinary tube.

I am aware that a perforated air-ring supplied by a laterally-propelling tube has been arranged within the combustion-chamber of a furnace; but the lateral tube interferes with the free flow of air, and is apt to be burned away, having no protection. As such air-distributers occupy a large space, they interfere with the draft, and are objectionable for that reason; but by supplying them with air by means of a blowing apparatus an artificial draft is created, which compensates for the obstruction.

Without limiting myself to the precise con struction and arrangement of parts shown, I claiml. The combination, with a furnace, of an air-blowing apparatus, an air distributing head suspended centrally within the combustion-chamber adjacent to but beyond the grate, arranged to leave a surrounding unobstructed passage, and provided with channels communicating with the blast apparatus, and arranged to direct the air in currentsamong the products vof combustion and away from the fire, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of an air-blowing apparatus, an air conducting tube, and an expanded air-distributing head communicating with said tube and arranged centrally within the combustion-chamber of a furnace to leave a. surrounding passage, and provided with channels directing the air among the products of combustion away from the fire, the blowing apparatus being constructed and operating so as when at rest to permit a free ow of the air without any blast, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a furnace, of a blowing apparatus, an air-distributing head provided with perforations through which the air can flow among the products of combustion,the said distributer being arranged within the combustion-chamber and beyond the grate, with an uninterrupted surrounding passage, with its end toward thefre-bed, and so as to be surrounded on all sides by the gases flowing to the chimney, and provided with channels arranged to direct the jets on all sides against a stationary portion of the furnace between the tubes and fire-bed, substantially as set forth. l

4. The combination, with a furnace, of a blowing apparatus and an air-distributer communicating therewith, and arranged centrally within the combustion-chamber to be exposed on all sides to the hot gases, and provided with channels arranged to direct the air in currents both outward and inward in said chamber and against a stationary portion of the furnace, substantially as set forth.

5. An air-distributer for furnaces, consisting of a hollow ring Vopen at the bottom and provided with channels upon its inner and outer sides, and with a refractory guard upon the open side of said ring, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, in an air-distributer, of a perforated hollow ring,a guard of refractory material, and an air-pipe leading to and communicating with the ring at the side opposite the guard, to leave an uninterrupted surrounding passage, substantially as set forth.

7. 'Ihe combination, with an air-distributer, of a guard of refractory material, connectingbolts passing through sockets in said gua-rd, and refractory fillings in said sockets over the heads of the bolts, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM WESTLAKE.

Witnesses:

DANIEL E. DELAVAN, DE B. WILMOT. 

